Kestner Surname Meaning & Coat of Arms

Seen on a birth certificate or a ship's manifest, Kestner is usually a form of Kastner. At root, the name means “granary keeper”. Kestner writes “e” in place of the “a” found in Kastner, a typical scribal difference. Before spelling was standardised, one family could appear under several forms. You may also find the name written Kaster, Kassner and Kasten.

In the 2010 US Census, 2,358 Americans gave Kestner as their last name (rank 13,023). That puts it among the top 25,000 US surnames.

Heraldry is personal: arms associated with the Kastner surname were borne by specific families, and sharing the name does not mean sharing the blazon. Want more than a summary? See the Kestner family name pack.